Just wanted to know what everyone's favorite bait is to throw on a tough day on the water when you can't catch a fish on anything else. It has been tough lately up here in NorCal so just wanted a little help. Primarily clear water baits btw. 

beetle spin or a trick worm

 

or ill just forget number and go for size and pull out a 12" worm or a swimbait.

Shakyhead, Ned Rig, or a wacky rig in clear water. 

A grub fished on a 1/16-1/4 oz ball head.  Other runners up include, T-rigged and light C-rigged worms (have forced myself away from in recent years to force myself into using new baits), soft plastic jerkbaits/flukes, jig/craw.  I need to force myself to drop shot more on rough days,. 

4'' or 5'' senko on t-rig.  Toss it into any "cubbies" you can along the bank or right around structure 

baby 1- is my go to bait when it's tough.

Years ago I was fishing a tournament on Lake Anna in Va during the spawn. I could see fish on beds and see fish cruising bluegill beds. I couldn't buy a bite to save my life. I could get them to follow a natural colored Gitzit but they lost interest pretty quickly. The tube was falling too quickly and it laid flat on the bottom. I was using fairly light line on a spinning rod, maybe 8-6 lb? The water was gin clear, like the lakes I used to fish in Ca. 

 

I broke up a Styrofoam coffee cup and stuck pieces of it inside my tube jig. That made it fall much slower and stand straight up on the bottom. That made all the difference in the world and I started getting bit. The problem was the the chemicals in the soft plastic dissolved the foam so I had to "reload" the tubes now and then. Now I keep tube jig floats in the boat. I use "Foam Backer Rod" and cut 1" to 3/4" pieces and keep a bunch on hand. The soft plastic of the bait doesn't affect the foam. It also allows me to use a heavier head so I can cast further.

 

I've also rigged them weightless and hooked them like a senko with a sliding egg sinker. With light line and a big tube with a big float in it you can cast it out and pump the rod and it will just go up and down in the same spot. Don't even reel it. Pretty cool on a bed. I've also rigged them with just enough weight to suspend it and work it like a fluke or jerk bait. Killer for smallies.

 

My PB Northern came off one of these rigged on the egg sinker fishing a brush pile in 15ft. 

 

 

 

 

Curly tail grub on a jighead. 

4" wacky rigged Yum Dinger

Often finesse is the problem , not the solution .One trip has made a lasting impression on me . I could not buy a strike . Out of frustration I burned a spinnerbait back and a bass jumped all over it . That was how the rest of the day went . 

 

Another example . I won a club tournament with two bass that weighed 13 lbs . I caught that duo  by burning a Bomber Long A minnow next to shallow stumps late in the day . Up until that point bass  completely  ignored all precision  pitches and cast 's .

11 hours ago, hunterPRO1 said:

 

 

or ill just forget number and go for size and pull out a 12" worm or a swimbait.

 

 

"If I'm not catching fish I may as well not be catching big fish" is one of my strategies too .

Been having a lot of those lately, usually I'm fishing either a fluke Jr. on a jig head or a straight tail worm.

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

 

"If I'm not catching fish I may as well not be catching big fish" is one of my strategies too .

 

I completely agree. That's one of the reasons I don't fish tournaments anymore. Tournaments force me to fish for numbers. I'm perfectly content not catching fish if I'm looking for a wall-hanger. So I'm usually fishing bigger baits than I would if I were fishing a tournament. And if by chance, I bump into a feeding school, they're usually big fish.

I like a finesse type worm on a wacky jig.

Ned Rig will get you bites. Try green pumpkin TRD on 1/16oz head. Fish slow and then slow down some more if necessary.

Custom Leech on a drop shot, if that's not working 8" Hudd. If I'm not catching anything I might as well not be catching something big.

A Ned rig wil get you bites when all else fails.  Might not be big, or even always a bass, but it will almost always catch something.

4.5" straight tail worm on a drop shot rig with 5 lb flouro. Especially in  clear water like your fishing.

Molix Sator Worm on a dropshot is my bait of last resort.  If that doesn't get bit by anything it means it's time to pack up for me.

Hard to beat a wacky rigged senko, but sometimes it is better to possibly them off!

Usually a Texas rigged speed craw 

3/8 oz jig in Black Neon with Rage Craw trailer

Weightless senko.

Berkley Power Worm

Deps 250, if the bite is tough and I'm fishing for "just a bite" might as well be a big one. Every once in a while it pays off.  But alot of times it dont

Ned rig, centipede/french fry, drop shot, and a senko.